Hangardoors: Bifold or One-piece hydraulic?

Post by **Christine** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 11:02 pm

I need to decide on which kind of hangar door to get (for my 45ft wide hangar in WA).
I have difficulties making up my mind:

An One-piece hydraulic door or a Bi-Fold Door?

Schweiss makes both, bifold and the hydraulic one-piece doors and then there are the Hydro-swing hydraulic one piece doors. Both have their advantages and disadvantages.

I would love to hear from owners of both styles doors and their experiences, recommendations etc and anybody who has any more information.

Thank you for your input

210TC · Post by **210TC** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 7:45 am

I would place hydrolic doors last on the list. Valves,hoses, pressure relief valves, rams, seals, leaks (drip on concrete) pumps, on and on. If a ram fails you will NOT be able to get your plane out of the hanger and if you do not have a shop in your area that can match the seals you will have to order them in or send the ram off for repair. This is only one of may problems.
Fold up doors are very popular. They place stress on the structure as they go up and the structure will need to be designed to hold or handle the twisiting efect. Nylon straps to lift the door are very good vs steel cable.
Again if electric motor or gear drive takes a vacation, you cannot go flying.
The old slider or accordian style folding doors (stack doors) require Mr. Armstrong. However, they cost the least and require the least amount to maintain and can always be opened. Maybe this is why you don't see the others at any military ops.

Wayne · Post by **Wayne** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 7:26 pm

MSG from Webmaster:
Sorry, I messed up: At this place Wayne had provided very valuable information about his experience with hangar doors (of 64 hangars he owns) to which I attempted to reply. Instead of REPLY I pressed EDIT, a feature I have as webmaster and overwrote all the information Wayne had supplied. I am so sorry.
Wayne, if you could summarize for all interested again your experience, please do so, I promise, I will check before I push any buttons again. Thanks so much for sharing.

- "Webmaster??" Christine (not Wayne)

210TC · Post by **210TC** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 8:45 pm

Good info Wayne.
I have never occupied a hanger in the snow country.

Post by **Christine** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 11:14 pm

Thanks 210TC and Thanks Wayne,
I pretty much had my mind up to go with a electric or hydraulic door, though I do see your points, 210TC (it's like with electric windows in a car vs good ol manual, but convenience is nice too)
I was going to go with hydro-swing, but got also the Schweiss brochure and started wondering about the leverage (weight) hanging out in front of my hangar. Heard also about the noise. Didn't like the way Schweiss talks about their competitors. They clearly promote their bifold door over their one-piece door they seem to offer only because of the competition. Thanks Wayne for bringing up another door maker, I will definetly get a quote. Jeremy was first very much pro hydro-swing but heard about some trouble a hydro-swing owner on his field had with a bend door and gave me second thoughts. Thanks very much for your input before I choose in which door I should invest. I will definetly have lots of rain in WA..... Maybe snow too.

Greetings from Hawaii (too cold for me in WA right now)
Christine

Ps And if anybody has a reasonably priced MX7-180 for sale, I am looking for one as soon as I get my hanagr doors...

MauleMedic · Post by **MauleMedic** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 1:40 am

210TC wrote:...Again if electric motor or gear drive takes a vacation, you cannot go flying...

This may be true for some instances, but at more than one hangar I was out of (Filadelfia PY, Cochabamba BO, U.P. of Michigan, etc) we had a crank to allow us to manually crank up our electric bi-fold doors. This has saved us more than once when the power was out for various reasons. Although some, if not all, of these hangars had home-made doors so I'm not sure what there is commercially.

One last nice advantage of the bi-fold / one piece doors is that they provide extra rain / sun protection in front of the hangar when they're open as compared with sliding doors. Also, if it ever snows or ices in your area the sliding door tracks can ice in - especially if you have lower rollers / guides.

PS While we're on the homemade subject...surplus composite boxcar roof panels make great lightweight door panels that can be attached to a door frame...

210TC · Post by **210TC** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 6:00 am

Christine
Next time you are editing please fix my mistakes. Many times I don't notice until I come back a second time to read "hydrolic". Just glad no report cards are issued.

Wayne · Post by **Wayne** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 6:58 pm

LOL np Christine I'll try to repost what I wrote.

I wrote that I have been reading forms for a few months but this is the first time I am posting and think I can help a little on this post about doors.

I do agree with 210TC that manual doors are cheaper to install. but it really ends there. If you add in winters snow,ice,and ground freeze then the fun is just getting started. As I'm sure most of you know.

I own 64 hangars that I rent out. 1 has a hydro-swing, 30 have Hi-fold bi-folds and the rest have manual doors.

I feel bi-fold are by far still the best choice for hangar doors. I have had a few problems but never where I couldn't get someone in or out of the hangar.

I had the bi-folds for about 10yrs now and wanted to try a hydro-swing. I thought it looked like a neat door idea with the shade-port it gives. I bought a 64wx18h hydro-swing door. Now that I've had for alittle while I have had trouble with the panel seams leaking when its out and raining.I think this could be fixed or help some if when you install your panels on the door you use caulk tape on all panel seam.
Also its a very noisey door with the pump running when your opening it. I really don't care for that myself. It has hinge noise and needs to be oiled more than bi-folds to it seems. Also I think it seems a little scarey when it straight out and mostly when the guys have their 7,000,000.00 jet parked under it LOL. I won't say I don't like this door it just isn't living up to what I thought it was going to be in my mine. I do feel its a well built door tho.

I just built a 63x48 hangar for myself and put a (46wx16h) Hi-fold bi-fold on the hangar. I did think about the hyro-swing alot because of the shade the door has straight out. But with the few thing I don't care for and the fact the cost is about 25 to 30% more. I went with the bi-fold.

I own bi-folds made by Hi-fold Door Inc. I looked at the schweiss door but felt the Hi-fold door quality was a little better. I must say tho a few of my friends have schweiss doors and haven't had much trouble either.

Hope this helps Cumli Wayne Long

And a little about me I have had 3 Maules- first was a 2001 M-7 235C, 2nd was a 2007 M-4 180v that I just sold alittle over a month ago (missed the 235HP to much), now I have a 2004 M-7 235C I bought few months ago. I have a little over 480 hrs in Maules now and just love the plane.

tellicovillage · Post by **tellicovillage** » Thu Dec 13, 2007 7:06 am

Went throught the same thing a few years ago! Talked with Sweiss and Hydroswing and a few others. Just happened by a booth for "Cool air doors" at SnF. Based on cost (about 1/5th overall) Ease of install--very easy and great customer service I have to recommend them! If I were a commercial operation I could maybe justify a overhead door but as mentioned before I would want a back up mode to open it. I was never comfortable with the stored energy right above me when the overhead doors ware open. Cool air also has a side folding option too.[/img]

210TC · Post by **210TC** » Thu Dec 13, 2007 7:29 am

Great info,
Cool-air offers a bi-fold that folds side ways. I like this as I am also one who does not like all that mass above me.
You folks in the snow country would need to push some snow to the side.

lancef53 · Post by **lancef53** » Fri Dec 14, 2007 6:41 pm

We have a hydro-swing 40' x 18' in a farm shop, and a 45' x 12' bi-fold in a hanger. Hands down, the hydroswing is a better door. We have had it for 6 1/2 years, and I would guess it has gone up and down close to 2000 times. We have had no problems, no leaks, no maintenance. It is a much safer system, takes up less headroom, puts less stress on the building(it has a frame that supports itself). If a hose breaks, which is very unlikely at the low 1800 psi that it operates at, it will take 45 seconds to close.

The thing I like the most, the hydro swing opens and closes in half the time, and no latching is required.

Another advantage of a hydroswing is the ability to place windows at any height, you don't have to work above or below the hinge point.

The mechanics of a hydroswing are very simple compared to the cables, pulleys, guides, latches, and motors of a bi-fold.

Moving snow for the door is the same for each, I don't think that would be a factor in deciding on one over the other.

Just my .02, take it for what it is worth.

As for opening a door without power, why not just use a generator??

donknee · Post by **donknee** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 7:38 am

The Hydroswing door on my Montana hangar is the best!! I have had it in use now for two years and even in 45 below zero it has worked great! No complaints of any kind. The "bi-fold" doors on my previous hangar would not open when the tracks were frozen or when there was any amount of significant wind. The sliding doors of my Portland hangar break my back every time I have to open them!

Paul Z.

Note= Paul is having trouble accessing this site and forwarded this post to me.

210TC · Post by **210TC** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 8:21 am

"45 below zero" I could not function. I'm like oil, if you don't warm me up i don't work well!!! LOL

My hanger doors would stay CLOSED

Hangardoors: Bifold or One-piece hydraulic?

Hangardoors: Bifold or One-piece hydraulic?

Hand Crank an Option?

Hanger door

Who is online